PRODUCT DESIGN
Form follows function – with soul.
Bauhaus-educated product designer with focus on human-centered design, maker culture, and social impact.
From building up one of Cairo's first FabLab to creating award-winning design concepts, I believe great design solves real problems while being beautiful.
Background:
- BA Product Design (Bauhaus-Universität Weimar)
- zeroAward International 2012
- FabLab Cairo Founder (GIZ)
- 3D Printing, Parametric Design, Prototyping
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MEDIA STATION "CASPAR DAVID FRIEDRICH, GOETHE AND ROMANTICISM" for digitus.art
Klassik Stiftung Weimar | 2024 | Interactive Exhibition Technology
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CHALLENGE:
For the special exhibition "Caspar David Friedrich, Goethe and Romanticism in Weimar," the Klassik Stiftung needed an innovative media station to communicate the complex connections between German Romanticism's most significant painter and Weimar's cultural environment. The exhibition presented rare Friedrich works in dialogue with objects from Goethe's collections, yet these historical relationships—artistic influences, shared natural philosophy, contemporary reception—were not immediately visible. The station needed to present scholarly content accessibly without disrupting the contemplative atmosphere of the painting gallery.
SOLUTION:
- Conceptualization and development of a touch-screen media station interactively unlocking biographical, art historical, and cultural historical connections
- Design of an intuitive user interface offering visitors various thematic approaches: chronology, works, places, persons, natural philosophy
- Integration of high-resolution image details from Friedrich paintings with zoom functions revealing painterly techniques and symbolic details
- Connection of digital content with physical exhibits through clear visual references and spatial coordinates
- Multilingual implementation (German/English) for international exhibition visitors
- Technical realization with museum-grade hardware for continuous operation and easy maintenance
RESULT:
The media station became the central interpretation tool of the special exhibition, significantly increasing visitors' average dwell time. Art historians praised the scholarly depth of the content, while museum educators highlighted the intuitive usability for different age groups.
Particularly successful was the visualization of Friedrich's natural philosophy in the context of Goethe's scientific studies—connections difficult to convey through traditional exhibition didactics. The station enabled visitors to independently discover relationships between Romantic painting, natural science, and Weimar cultural history.
The special exhibition attracted over [number] visitors, with the media station frequently mentioned in visitor reviews as a highlight of digital interpretation. The project demonstrated how interactive technology can make art historical research accessible to broad audiences without replacing the primary experience before the original paintings.
EXHIBITION CONTEXT:
The special exhibition "Caspar David Friedrich, Goethe and Romanticism in Weimar" was among the highlights of the Friedrich Year 2024 (250th birthday). It illuminated previously little-researched connections between Friedrich's work and Weimar Classicism, particularly Goethe's ambivalent attitude toward Romantic painting. The exhibition united loans from international collections with holdings from the Klassik Stiftung.
TECHNOLOGY:
Interactive UI/UX Design • High-Resolution Image Integration • Content Management System • Multilingual Implementation • Museum Hardware • Art Historical Research • Exhibition Didactics • Accessible Design
USER GROUPS:
- Art-interested adults
- Art historians and specialist audiences
- Student groups and university students
- International tourists
- Families with children (ages 12+)
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ICECAIRO FABLAB
GIZ Egypt | 2011-2012 | Social Entrepreneurship
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What started as a internship ended in a consultant contract.
CHALLENGE:
In 2011, Egypt's maker and innovation ecosystem was hardly existent. Young engineers, designers, and entrepreneurs lacked access to digital fabrication tools and collaborative spaces essential for prototyping and learning. The GIZ (German Development Cooperation) sought to establish a FabLab and Community Hub as part of their economic development program, but needed someone who could bridge technical expertise, entrepreneurship, and cross-cultural communication.
SOLUTION:
- Set up a Community Hub with a FabLab including procurement, installation, and calibration of equipment (3D printers, laser cutters, CNC machines)
- Developed training curriculum for digital fabrication tools tailored to local context and skill levels
- Established partnerships with Egyptian universities and tech communities to build sustainable user base
- Organized workshops, hackathons, and maker events fostering collaborative innovation culture
- Created operational framework ensuring the FabLab's continued success after project handover
RESULT:
Icecairo became a cornerstone of Egypt's maker movement, serving over 100 entrepreneurs and innovators in its first year. Multiple startups launched products prototyped in the FabLab, creating jobs and economic value. The lab survived
the political turbulence of 2011-2013 and continues operating today, having trained thousands of makers. The project established a model replicated in other Countries and cities like Alexandria and Addis Abeba.
IMPACT:
- 100+ entrepreneurs trained in first year
- 15+ startups launched using FabLab resources
- Continues operating 10+ years later
- Model replicated across MENA-Region
TECHNOLOGY:
3D Printing • Laser Cutting • CNC Machining • Workshop Facilitation • Curriculum Development • Entrepreneurship • Community Building
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Akkuschrauberrennen Hildesheim 2011 – Electric Vehicle Design Competition
Project Overview
The Akkuschrauberrennen (Electric Screwdriver Race) is an annual design and engineering competition organized by HAWK Hildesheim, where student teams from design universities compete with self-built vehicles powered exclusively by standard cordless drill drivers. In 2011, I participated as part of Team BAM-BUW representing Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
Competition Format
Teams received a standardized 18V Bosch cordless drill driver and €400 material budget to build a functional vehicle capable of carrying one person. The competition evaluated three criteria: Speed (racing performance), Weight (lightweight construction), and Design (jury and audience assessment). Vehicles competed in head-to-head duels on a 360-meter course at Hildesheim Airport.
Design & Construction
Technical Requirements:
- Maximum weight: varies by competition year
- Must accommodate one rider
- Powered by unmodified Bosch PSR 18 LI-2 drill driver
- Must be steerable and pass TÜV inspection before racing
Team BAM-BUW Approach: Under the supervision of Prof. Heiko Bartels, our team developed a lightweight racing vehicle that balanced structural integrity with aerodynamic design. The project combined creative problem-solving with technical engineering, typical of Bauhaus-Universität Weimar's interdisciplinary approach to design challenges.
Betonkanuregatta – Design Competition
Project Overview
The Betonkanuregatta (Concrete Canoe Regatta) is an annual engineering and design competition held by German universities, where teams build functional canoes made entirely of concrete. The challenge combines structural engineering, material science, and creative design, as participants must create lightweight yet stable vessels that can actually float and race.
As a student at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, I participated in three editions of this prestigious competition, winning awards for both canoe design and team outfit design.
Competition Format
Teams compete in multiple categories including speed races, design aesthetics, and technical innovation. The canoes must meet specific technical requirements for buoyancy and structural integrity while allowing for creative freedom in visual design. The event attracts teams from universities across Germany and has become a celebrated tradition in engineering and design education.
Design Approach
My contributions focused on the visual identity and aesthetic design of both the canoe hull and the team presentation. The designs balanced technical constraints with bold graphic elements, creating distinctive visual identities that stood out on the water. Each year's concept explored different themes while maintaining functionality and structural requirements.
Awards
- 2011 – Canoe & Team Outfit
- 2013 – Canoe & Team Outfit
- 2015 – Canoe & Team Outfit
The three wins demonstrate consistent excellence in combining technical requirements with creative visual design across multiple competition years at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar.
SpaceKidHeadCup – Weimar Soapbox Derby
Project Overview
The SpaceKidHeadCup (SKHC) is Weimar's legendary soapbox derby and Germany's largest free soapbox race, held annually on May 1st since 1992. Organized as a tribute to Yuri Gagarin's spaceflight, the event has become an integral part of Weimar's cultural calendar. From 2022 to 2024, I successfully participated with self-built soapbox vehicles and won awards in my category for three consecutive years.
Event & Tradition
The SKHC is organized by students from Bauhaus-Universität Weimar and Hochschule für Musik FRANZ LISZT on a volunteer basis, attracting thousands of spectators to Windmühlenstraße each year. The event combines daring driving skills, creative design, and Weimar's festival culture. Participants compete in two categories: Style and Speed.
Design & Construction
Vehicle Requirements:
- Maximum weight: 100 kg (must be liftable by the team)
- Steerable and brakeable
- Mandatory helmet for pilots
- TÜV inspection before race approval
My Implementations: For each of the three years, I developed independent soapbox concepts that combined technical functionality with creative design. The vehicles were built in the weeks leading up to the race with improvisation, ingenuity, and the typical Weimar DIY spirit.
Awards
- 2022 – SpaceKidHeadCup Winner - 1. Speed
- 2023 – SpaceKidHeadCup Winner - 1. Speed / 3. Style
- 2024 – SpaceKidHeadCup Winner - 1. Style
The three consecutive wins demonstrate consistent development of design, construction, and performance quality across three racing seasons.